Joelouis Mattox - When Prospect Avenue Was Main Street

Local historian Joelouis Mattox discusses the history of Prospect Avenue and the life of one of the surrounding community’s leading citizens, Lucile H. Bluford.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s Prospect Avenue was one of Kansas City’s main commercial thoroughfares. It also functioned as an entertainment district, serving as “Westport,” “River Quay,” and the “Power & Light District” for the African-American community.